MBombay Classic Churchill Cigar Review- A Classic is Always in Style!

It seems  like it has been forever, but MBombay Cigars have only been around for 3 years, but what a great 3 years Mel Shah has had. It all started back in 2014,  when this former IT Executive and cigar shop owner decided to lay it all on the line and introduce his first line of cigars, the MBombay Classic, to the marketplace. Of course that was only the beginning, as the company has been cranking out some amazing blends ever since.

I recently talked to Mel and he told me that the MBombay Classic has been a successful line but he noted that the wrapper will be changed in the 2018 version from  an Ecuadorian Connecticut 2001 leaf  to an Ecuadorian Connecticut 2002,  as the 2001 crop is used  up. I guess we will see how that ranks next year. Meanwhile, lets celebrate Throw Back Thursday (TBT) with a review of the original MBombay Classic.

The first thing to note about the MBombay Classic is the blend. The man understood cigars. Having owned a shop for about 10 years, Mel knew what he wanted in his inaugural  cigar. He wanted a truly flavorful and smooth Connecticut and to do that he selected tobacco from the Caribbean, Central, and South America. Five countries in all. The complete blend is described as:

• Wrapper – Ecuadorian Connecticut 2001
• Binder – Dominican
• Filler – Honduran, Nicaraguan, Dominican, and Peruvian

The cigars themselves are produced in Costa Rica, a country Mel has great respect for.

The MBombay Classic is available in 5 vitolas and come packaged in 20-count boxes:

• Corona – 5 x 43 ($6.49)
• Robusto – 4.5 x 48 ($6.99)
• Belicoso – 5 x 52 ($7.99)
• Perfecto – 6 x 50 ($9.49)
• Churchill – 7 x 48 ($8.99)

Prices are from Seriouscigars.com

Pre-Light Examination

The MBombay Classic is a silky smooth medium tan cigar that is finished with a perfectly applied triple cap and closed foot. Veins! We don’t need no stinking veins,  and you won’t find many on this cigar! I expect nothing less from  Mel and Bombay Tobak. Like most MBombay cigars,  and the Classic set the standard for the brand, it is adorned with a large outer sleeve that is decorative in an Indian motif. Once removed it has a simpler band on the cigar that describes this as the MBombay Classic.

Running the MBombay across the nose I picked up a light sweet spice along the barrel and notes of hay, nut, and pepper on the foot. This cigar was certainly ready to be smoked. Once clipped,  the cold draw graced the palate with red pepper and earthy notes. 

For this review I sampled 2 MBombay Classic Churchills, which I received from  the company for purposes of reviewing.

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Cigar Review Notes

• Smooth easy draw with some early pepper on first puffs
• Sweetness quickly moves into the profile
• Cinnamon aroma joins the sweetness
• Sweetness just engulfs the palate with side notes of cocoa, cream, and spice
• The aroma moves to a fragrant floral fruit enticing the nostrils
• A solid ash with a touch of flake and medium grey in color takes form
• The burn line is straight and medium thickness
• Ash held tight for two inches
• Nicely centered and fairly flat burn cone
• The second third tones down the sweetness as cedar notes fill out the profile
• The ash rebuilds on its second journey
• The aroma is a bit more spicy with a hint of nut
• A hint of grapefruit citrus enters and pepper tingles the lips
• This is becoming a mouth-watering cigar
• Wrapper is showing some gloss to it
• Spice builds in second third
• Smoke is full with a notable coffee cream note near the end of the second third
• Spice fills out the profile moving into the finish
• Strength was Mild to Medium
• Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 40 minutes

Overall,  the MBombay Classic was a flavorful Ecuadorian Connecticut cigar that lived up to its multi country blend of select leaf. It is simply amazing what blends of tobacco leaf can do to cigars, and the MBombay Classic is fine example of this. The fact that this was Mel Shah’s inaugural blend speaks volumes about the man behind the MBombay line. I would have to say this is a cigar that would be one to smoke on a weekend morning to get your day started with a creamy cup of coffee or even tea. If you want to know where to find the MBombay Classic and the rest of the Bombay Tobak line check out their Authorized Retailers map here.